Trump plan to import drugs to U.S. faces legal challenge

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — An influential pharmaceutical lobbying group is suing to end the Trump administration’s plan to allow prescription drugs to be imported from Canada into the United States.

That could have major implications for Florida, where Gov. Ron DeSantis and President Donald Trump have highlighted state and federal efforts to lower the cost of prescriptions. DeSantis announced last week that Florida’s importation plan had been submitted to the federal government.

“For far too long, Floridians have been paying exorbitant prices for prescription drugs,” DeSantis said in a release announcing his administration’s plan. “Today, we take another step towards lowering those prices.”

The lawsuit, filed on the same day of DeSantis’ announcement in the U.S. District Court for Washington, D.C., alleges the federal government has not proven the program DeSantis hopes to participate in would be safe or cost effective — two standards required by federal law for commercial distribution of foreign prescription drugs.

James C. Stansel, the executive vice president and general counsel for the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, one of the groups suing the Trump administration, said past administrations haven’t allowed states to import foreign drugs for a reason.

“Every secretary that has looked at this in the past 20 years, Republican or Democrat, has said, I can’t certify to either one of these things,” Stansel said, referring to the cost and safety standards.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services did not respond to requests for comment Friday.

In the release announcing Florida’s plan, the governor’s office said the state would put measures into place that would “ensure counterfeit drugs do not enter the supply chain.” The release noted the state would start its program by importing a few different kinds of drugs for people with chronic illnesses.